Sections Woodwinds Brass Percussion

Woodwinds The three branches of the woodwind family have different sources of sound. Vibrations begin when air is blown across the top of an instrument, across a single reed, or across two reeds. A single reed is clamped to a mouthpiece at the top of the instrument and vibrates against the mouthpiece when air is blown between the reed and the mouthpiece. The double reed fits into a tube at the top of the instrument and vibrates when air is forced between the two reeds. Back to Orchestra SectionsTo Woodwind Instruments Hit Enter for Next Section

Brass Brass Family instruments produce their unique sound by the player buzzing his/her lips while blowing air through a cup- or funnel-shaped mouthpiece. The mouthpiece connects to a length of brass tubing ending in a bell. The shorter the tubing length, the smaller the instrument, and the higher the sound; and the longer the tubing length, the larger the instrument, and the lower the sound. The main instruments of the brass family include the trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba. Back to Orchestra SectionsTo Brass Instruments Hit Enter for Next Section

Percussion With a name that means, "the hitting of one body against another," instruments in the percussion family are played by being struck, shaken, or scraped. In the orchestra, the percussion section provides a variety of rhythms, textures and tone colors. The percussion instruments are an international family, with ancestors from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe representing musical styles from many different cultures. Back to Orchestra Sections To Percussion Instruments Hit Enter for Next Section

Piccolo piccolo The piccolo is exactly like the flute except that it is much smaller and is usually made of silver or wood. The pitch of the piccolo is higher than that of a flute. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Flute flute The flute is made from silver or gold and is about 2 feet in length. It looks like a narrow tube with a row of holes covered by keys along one side. The player blows air across the small hole in the mouthpiece to produce a sound that can be either soft and mellow or high and piercing. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Oboe oboe The oboe is similar to the clarinet in many ways. Both are made from wood and have metal keys that can produce many notes rapidly. The oboe does not have a mouthpiece, but has two reeds tied together. By placing them between one's lips and blowing air through them, the reeds vibrate and produce a sound. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Clarinet clarinet Made from wood, the clarinet produces a fluid sound when air is blown between a single reed and the mouthpiece. By pressing metal keys with the fingers of both hands, the player has the ability to play many different notes very quickly. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Bassoon bassoon The bassoon is a large double reed instrument with a lower sound than the other woodwind instruments. When the player blows air between the reeds, the vibrating column of air inside the instrument travels over nine feet to the bottom of the instrument, then up to the top where the sound comes out. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Saxophone saxophone Conically shaped, the saxophone is the only woodwind instrument made of brass. Although it is found only occasionally in the symphony orchestra, it is considered a member of the woodwind family because it has a single reed like the clarinet. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Brass Instruments

Trumpet trumpet The trumpet is the highest sounding member of the brass family. The brilliant tone of the trumpet travels through about 6 - ½ feet of tubing bent into an oblong shape. The player presses the three valves in various combinations with the fingers of the right hand to obtain various pitches. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Trombone trombone The mouthpiece of the trombone is larger than that of a trumpet, and gives the instrument a more mellow sound. Instead of valves, the trombone has a slide which changes the length of its approximately 9 feet of tubing to reach different pitches. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Tuba tuba Made of about 16 feet of tubing, the tuba is the lowest sounding member of the brass family. The tuba has four to five valves and is held upright in the player’s lap. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

French Horn French Horn The French Horn consists of about 12 feet of narrow tubing wound into a circle. The player obtains different notes on the horn with a clear mellow sound by pressing valves with the left hand and by moving the right hand inside of the bell. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Percussion

Snare Drum snare drum The snare drum has two calfskin or plastic drumheads stretched tightly over a hollow metal frame. The top head is struck with wooden drumsticks, and is called the batter-head. The bottom head, or snare-head has catgut or metal wires called snares stretched tightly across it. When this drum is struck on the top head, the snares produce a characteristic sharp rattling sound as they vibrate against the bottom head. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Cymbals cymbals Made from two large, slightly concave brass plates, cymbals are fitted with leather hand straps and are shaped so that when they are crashed together, only the edges touch. Different sized cymbals produce a wide range of sound effects. Cymbals are also played by being struck with drumsticks or mallets while suspended on a string or stand. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Bass Drum bass drum The composer Mozart added the deep, booming, sound of the bass drum to the orchestra in Constructed like a snare drum, but without snares, the bass drum is much larger and is played on its side, so that either head may be struck. The beater or mallet for a bass drum is large with a soft material such as sheep's wool covering the end. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Tambourine tambourine The tambourine is a shallow, handheld drum made of a circular wooden frame with a calfskin or plastic drumhead stretched across the top. The tambourine has small discs called jingles set into its circular frame which produce sound when the tambourine is shaken, rubbed, or struck on the drum head with the knuckles. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Triangle triangle The triangle is made from a small round steel tube, and is played by striking it with a steel beater. Its bright shimmering sound is untuned and resembles that of a bell. The triangle first joined the orchestra in the late 1700s. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Timpani Timpani Timpani are constructed of a large copper bowl with a drumhead made of calfskin or plastic stretched across the top. When struck with felt-tipped wooden sticks, or mallets, timpani produce a specific pitch that is determined by the drum's size. That pitch is fine-tuned by tightening the drumhead with keys and foot pedals. Most orchestras use three or four timpani of varying sizes. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Xylophone xylophone First used in the orchestra just over a century ago, the xylophone is a tuned instrument made of hardwood bars in graduated lengths set horizontally on a metal frame. With the larger, lower-sounding bars on the left, the notes of the xylophone are laid out much like a piano keyboard. Striking the bars with hard mallets produces a bright, sharp sound. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Next Instrument

Chimes Chimes Chimes are a tuned instrument consisting of a set of 12 to 18 metal tubes hung from a metal frame. The metal tubes range from 1 to 2 ½ inches in diameter and from 4 to 6 feet in length. The chimes, or tubular bells, are struck with a mallet and sound like church bells when played. The longer the length of tube that is struck, the lower the pitch that is created. Back to Orchestra SectionsHit Enter for Keyboards

Wind Ensemble in Action

Rhythm #1

Rhythm #2

Rhythm #3

Rhythm #4

Rhythm #5

Bonus Rhythm

The End